Are You in Control of Your Path Through Life?

Things do change.

We are operating on proving ground earth and face everyday challenges from humans just like ourselves. Many of these challenges are warm and fuzzy until something begins to smell odd and then things start to turn downward. Let me propose a different example. We go to the nearby new car dealership and pick out our dream buggy. At the end of the first year we have changed the oil twice and washed and shined the new car six times. The upholstery doesn’t smell the same and the carpets are beginning to show a little wear. By the end of the third year, there are thirty small and large scratches here and there and the tires are bald. Your dream car has become obsolete and begins to be a burden. It is time to start looking for a new one. There are some people who are committed to keeping a car forever and making sure it stays in top shape. I wish the same could be said for marriages. The way we look at things has a lot to do with the outcomes. You have choices.

At age six we had an idea what Santa Claus was all about and even didn’t mind asking him for a favor or two. What we believe from one age to the next might change due to gained knowledge, an open mind and a new perspective. Have you noticed how much you have changed over the years?

Human nature being what it is has to operate with all of the flaws purposefully put into the design. If we were perfect, the challenges would be rather boring and worthless. Every day we are put to the test and time has a way of curing our defects or making them worse. This is where an understanding of the facts of life can be very important. Going back to age six, how much thought did you give to old age, a pension, social security and retirement. If you are normal, the answer would be zero. Now move ahead forty or fifty years and look at how much thought you give to these subjects. You see, there is a common course that we follow governed by the uncontrollable. That is to say, up to a point we are paced along a timeline over which we have no control. Facing every obstacle and every day with an open mind, a positive attitude and forgiveness toward the rest of the humans who have been competing with us all along the way,  will go a long way to assuage the anxiety of moving ahead.

Examine your attitude and make adjustments without pitching the car without a second thought. Learn to forgive those who have stepped on your toes and encourage others to do the same. Put your shoulder to the wheel of life and make it travel as far as possible with the least amount of resistance. I know of no one, who can’t make life better for us all. I know of few marriages that can’t support more happiness for each partner.

Team up with others who can support your efforts and do the same for them. This is not a lonely world, but one full of humanity who are a lot like you. The more you do for others, the more you do for us all. We have come a long way and no one knows how far we have yet to go.

Dr Robert E McGinnis (published author for over thirty years)